Broken Gas Line Blamed for Leak

WEST WARWICK – The gas leak on Wednesday that prompted the evacuation of several Main Street properties was caused by private contractors who ruptured a natural gas line, the New England Gas Company said yesterday.

Contractors installing curbing material in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 1735 Main St. damaged a 2-inch natural gas line around 10:35 a.m., Christopher Medici, a spokesman for the New England Gas Company, said yesterday. The pipe connected the apartment building with the gas main on Main Street.

The leak prompted firefighters to evacuate several buildings and to attach a hose to a nearby hydrant in case the gas ignited, fire Capt. David Perry said yesterday. Firefighters remained on the scene for more than an hour, Perry said, waiting for the gas to dissipate.

“With a gas leak like that, any little flicker could have sent it off,” Dispatcher Michael Simko said yesterday.

No one was injured during the incident, Town Manager Wolfgang Bauer said yesterday. About 36 New England Gas customers lost service for several hours, Medici said.